When Angels Cry
by Dumblepoo
Summary: When a girl is found in the forest, questions appear. Who is this girl? Why won't she tell anyone about her past? I have added 4 chapters, as I don't think I'll be able to update for a fair while.
1. Mysterious Girl

When Angels Cry  
  
Disclaimer: This is for the whole story, because I'm too lazy to write it on every chapter.. I don't own Fruits Basket: so sue me. Wait; DON'T sue me.  
  
A/N: before I start, I just want to say that I watched some of the English version of Furuba, and it was horrible. FUNImation wrecked it. I mean they even changed the songs at the start and end. All the other animes I've watched left it, so why change Furuba's? I couldn't watch it; I had to change it back to Japanese. I just wanted everyone to know FUNImation are evil anime ruiners! I mean, they didn't even pronounce the names properly! :z*End rant* Chapter 1: Mysterious girl  
  
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"I'm sorry Tori, but we must do this. Who knows what could happen if we let you stay here." The dark-haired girl stood silently, almost defiantly, staring at the person talking. "It will be over soon." The man put his hand over her eyes, and she fell back, unconscious.  
  
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"Tori-san, why do we have to leave so soon? I was just starting to enjoy myself!" Ayame followed his friend through the trees. "Tori? Are you even listening me?" Hatori kept walking, ignoring the protests coming from behind him. "Hey, what's this? Tori-san, come quickly, there's someone here!" Hatori turned around to see Ayame bending over something. He went over, to see a young girl lying in the grass, unconscious.  
  
"Ayame, go tell Shigure he's going to have another guest at his house for a while." Ayame started running off, when Hatori called out, "and get Yuki and Kyou out here too." Ayame nodded and zoomed off to get help. Hatori turned back to his patient. "Now, what can we do for you?" He checked her condition, and made her comfortable, when Yuki and Kyou ran over. "Ah, you two are here. We have to get her back to the house somehow."  
  
"How about one of us take her legs, one take her head or shoulders, and one support her at the middle?" Yuki asked calmly. Hatori nodded in agreement.  
  
"Wait a second! We don't even know who she is! She could be dangerous." Hatori turned to his angry cousin and spoke quietly.  
  
"She's unconscious, how could she be dangerous? Now, we have to be careful or we'll transform. Yuki, you take her shoulders. Kyou, you take her legs, and I'll support her waist. Ready?" And with that, they made their way back to the house.  
  
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~Where am I? It's too dark to see anything. I have to get out~  
  
The girl opened her eyes, to see two large green ones looking back. She sat up slowly, looking at her surroundings. The owner of the eyes yelped and ran out of the room, leaving the door open. The girl noticed what she was wearing: her favourite outfit, consisting of black jeans with silver thread used in any seams, a black singlet top with the symbol for 'air' on it in silver, and a black shirt. "Thankyou mother." She murmured quietly. A man walked into the room, with the green-eyed girl behind him. There were four other people with them, but she didn't pay any attention to them.  
  
"Tohru said you were awake. My name is Hatori Sohma; I'm a doctor. What is your name?" The girl looked at the other four properly. Hatori went over to them. "These are my cousins. These two," he pointed to Shigure and Ayame "are my friends, Ayame and Shigure. These two," he motioned towards Yuki and Kyou "live with Shigure. Their names are Yuki and Kyou." He turned back to her. "Now that you know everyone, please answer my question.  
  
"Tori." She looked at her hands, trying not to make eye contact. Ayame chuckled quietly. She looked up, confused at what was so funny. Ayame shook his head and waved his hands in apology.  
  
"Sorry, I was just thinking, Tori-san and Tori-san." He looked at her blank expression, and tried again. "I call Hatori Tori-san, and I would call you Tori-san too. It could get confusing." Tori looked back at her hands. "Do you have a last name?" He queried. She shook her head sadly.  
  
"I should check your breathing. Could you please lift your shirt for me?" Tori took off her shirt and heard gasps. She smiled sadly at their reaction. Her singlet top was low enough at the back to show the two wings tattooed on her shoulder blades. She lifted the bottom of her top for Hatori, and felt the stethoscope on her back. "Takes some deep breaths for me please." He asked soothingly, and she did so. She turned around for him to check her heart. "It all seems fine. You should probably get some rest though. Do you know how you became unconscious?"  
  
"I've been resting for too long. I am hungry though, may I have something to eat please?" Tohru rushed off to prepare something while Kyou fumed.  
  
"Oy! You didn't answer the question!" She looked at him, making eye contact for the first time. Her eyes were blue-grey, like storm clouds. A frown snapped into place as she moved to the edge of the bed she was in.  
  
"I wasn't wanted. That's all I know. I don't remember anything else." She faced Hatori. "Sorry, I wish I could remember more." ~Liar!~ Tori flinched as she tried to stand. 'I can't tell anyone. I'm not a liar.' She thought to herself.  
  
"You shouldn't be moving about." Yuki commented as Tori leant against the bedside table. He offered his arm, but she pushed it away and straightened up. She walked to the door naturally, as if nothing had happened. Hatori frowned, interested in her speedy recovery.  
  
"Which way to the bathroom?" She smiled slightly, as if she enjoyed confusing people. Shigure pointed down the hall. She wandered along, stopping to examine a wall hanging. She opened the door, looked back to see everyone watching. She waved and went inside.  
  
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"You have such a pretty house." Tori commented as she sat down at the table. Her eyes widened when she saw the meal Tohru laid out. "That's a lot of food! I don't know if I can eat it all." She looked at Tohru's concerned face.  
  
"I didn't know what Tori-san would like, so I made all different things." Tori patted her on the shoulder. Tohru perked up suddenly. "I just hope Tori-san likes what I made. You need to eat to get your energy up!" Tori nodded.  
  
"I'll try some of everything, and I'm sure it'll all be delicious. And don't worry about all the food; the others will help. You don't need to be so formal either; besides, being called -san makes me feel old. Itadakimasu!" Tori started on the food willingly. When Shigure and the others came into the room, she stopped only to invite them to help.  
  
"I have to decline, I'm sorry. I have work I need to do. Ayame, if you want a lift home, you will need to leave now as well." Ayame reluctantly left with Hatori, while Shigure, Yuki and Kyou sat down to eat.  
  
After her meal, Tori went outside. "I'll only be a little bit. I'm sorry for all the problems I've been. I'll make it up somehow, don't you worry." As she walked out, she couldn't help hearing Shigure comment on how similar she was to Tohru. 'If only you knew.' she thought as she climbed a tree. 'if only you knew.'  
  
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"Tori-chan! Tori-chan, where are you!?" Tohru looked around the garden, to find her sitting at the base of a tree. "Tori-chan, didn't you hear me?" Tori looked up at Tohru and shook her head. "What's that?" Tohru pointed to what Tori was holding. She showed it to Tohru, how held it for a closer look. "What a pretty feather! It's pitch black, did you find it on the ground?"  
  
"No, I didn't find it on the ground. It dropped to the ground when a bird flew away." She blushed slightly, as if guilty of something. Tohru went to give it back, but Tori refused. "You keep it. I have enough feathers." She added quietly. "I'm tired, I think I might go to bed. Umm, where am I to sleep?"  
  
"Oh, you're in the room next to me! I'll show you where to go." As they walked inside, three sets of eyes followed them. Shigure, Yuki and Kyou sat on the veranda, looking at Tori and Tohru.  
  
"What a mysterious girl." Shigure murmured as the two girls went upstairs.  
  
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A/N Well that was the first chapter. What do you think of it? I'm not big on A/N's, so don't expect them, ok? Until next time! ~Ame~ 


	2. Black and White

"You're a monster. You don't belong here!" Tori was trapped in a corner, surrounded by blonde people. The leader of the group grabbed her arm roughly, his arm raised to hit her.  
  
"TOHRU!! Good Morning!!!" Tori shot up, ready to run, when she remembered what had happened. A feather floated to the ground. She bent down and picked it up. She went to the open window and let it float away. She changed out of the pyjamas Tohru leant to her and walked downstairs.  
  
As she walked downstairs, she walked into a war zone. 'What happened to the house?' she thought. 'It was so nice and neat, now it destroyed. Who could have done this?' She picked up a broken figurine of a bird, closed her eyes and kissed its head. Tohru walked into the room, a blonde boy behind her.  
  
"Tori-chan, you're up! I was about to wake you up and everything!" She saw the bird in Tori's hands, "That bird survived? It must be tough." Tori put it back on the table, and Momiji bounced over. Tori recoiled involuntarily. "Oh Tori, this is Momiji-kun, another one of the Sohma cousins. He and Hatsuharu-san are visiting today." Tori stood up and bowed to Momiji.  
  
"Nice to meet you. Who's Hatsuharu?" Momiji bounced on the spot. 'He's not one of them. Clam down Tori.' She repeated in her head. Momiji pointed to the broken door.  
  
"He's my cousin. He's outside if you want to meet him, but be careful. He's fighting Kyou. They're the ones who did all this damage." Tori thanked him and walked outside. She saw Kyou and a white-haired boy yelling at each other. 'That must be Hatsuharu.' She walked over calmly.  
  
"That was a sissy punch! If that's all you've got, I'll be able to beat you easily!" He went to punch Kyou, and saw Tori watching, frowning slightly. "Well, what do we have here?" he went and stood over her. "Kyou's kept you a secret. I'll make up for it now." He leant in, and Tori's knee connected with his stomach. Haru collapsed on the ground, winded. Kyou stood next to him, laughing slightly.  
  
"That'll teach you for underestimating a girl." He commented. "Well, at least he won't be black for much longer." He turned to Tori, who was walking away. "Hey, don't you want to meet him!?" She turned around, her eyes pure grey.  
  
"Why would I want to meet someone like him?" Kyou sighed, rubbing his hair.  
  
"He was just black, he'll be better in a sec. See, Haru has a short temper. It flares up unexpectedly, which our family calls 'black'. He should be back to normal, thanks to that move of yours." At that moment, Haru sat up and looked at Kyou.  
  
"What'd you do that for?" Kyou shook his head and pointed to Tori. Haru looked at Tori. "What'd you do that for?" Kyou hit him on the back of the head. "Who are you?"  
  
"You deserved it. My name is Tori." She bowed slightly. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going for a walk." Haru stood up quickly.  
  
"I'll come with you for protection." She pushed him back down and started walking away.  
  
"I rendered you helpless with one move," she called over her shoulder "and you still think I need protection?" she shook her head, making her hair shimmer in the sunlight. Haru looked at Kyou, puzzled.  
  
"She's weird. Did she have two white bits at the front of her hair?" Kyou looked down at his cousin, and hit him on the head again. "What was that for?"  
  
"As if you can talk about being weird." He sat down next to Haru. "Yeah, she does have two white bits. I don't know why though. Come to think of it, we don't know anything about her!" He stood up and stormed in the direction she went. "I'm gonna find out some stuff!" Haru watched as Kyou went.  
  
"Black and white hair."  
  
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Tori climbed up a tree. She settled on a branch where she could see the ground, but people on the ground couldn't see her. "He has white and black hair." her hand went to her neck, and closed around air. "Where is it?! Mother! Give it back. It feels wrong without it." She curled up into a ball, and a single tear rolled down her face. Light surrounded her neck, and slowly faded, leaving a necklace in its place. 'Thankyou mother.' She looked down to see Kyou standing under the tree, looking around. She jumped down gracefully, landing right next to him without him noticing. "Boo." Kyou jumped away quickly.  
  
"Hey! Don't do that ever again." He remembered why he was looking for her. "How come you haven't told us anything about you? You know things about us, yet we know nothing about you." Tori moved closer to him.  
  
"Everyone has things they don't want others to know. Secrets noone can know about." While she was speaking, Tori was moving close to Kyou. He was backing away until he was trapped up against a tree trunk. "Isn't that true?" She placed her hands either side of his face, making as she was falling. She stopped close to Kyou's face and smirked.and walked off, leaving Kyou against the tree, shocked.  
  
"She knows. Somehow she knows about the curse."  
  
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Chapter 2 done! This one was a bit shorter, but it seemed better to finish it here. Thank you to Yukiril, my first reviewer! *Gives her a Haru biscuit* one of your thoughts was right, but I'm not saying which one! 


	3. Namesake

"She knows! I'm telling you, somehow she knows about it!" Hatori frowned at Kyou's sudden outburst. He walked into Shigure's office, with Kyou following.  
  
"Shigure, I came to pick up Momiji and Haru, and Kyou told me something interesting." Shigure looked up from his work, curiosity across his features. "He says Tori-san knows about the curse. You haven't transformed around her, have you?" Kyou and Shigure both shook their heads. "Then how?" Shigure shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, but she does! I was standing against a tree, when she went to fall on me, got this close," he demonstrated the distance with his fingers, "stopped herself, smirked and walked away!" Kyou yelled.  
  
"Kyou calm down. It might've been an accident, which she luckily stopped from becoming even worse." Shigure shook his head ashamedly. "Did you even think of that?" Kyou shook his head angrily. "You didn't?"  
  
"That's not it! She was talking about secrets just before it! It wasn't a coincidence, she knows!" Hatori sighed and sat down.  
  
"Well, I'll have to tell Akito about this. Where is she now?" Shigure explained that she and Tohru went shopping a few minutes before Hatori arrived. "Well, I'll come and get her, most likely tomorrow. Tell her she's to see the head of that family, nothing else." Shigure stood and walked out with Hatori, and stopped on the veranda.  
  
"What'll happen to her?" Shigure asked the vital question. Hatori looked at the garden and commented quietly,  
  
"That will depend on Akito. Momiji! Haru! Time to leave!" He called to his younger cousins, who went over, Momiji whining that he wanted to say goodbye to Tohru. They all walked to the door, Shigure and Kyou stopping at the door while the others walked to the car. Hatori turned and warned them. "Be careful around her. And try to get her to wear something different." Shigure nodded seriously, them smiled and waved goodbye.  
  
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"Tori-chan, can you come in here please?" Shigure beckoned from his office. She wandered over to him and sat down. "Hatori visited today when you went shopping. He wanted me to tell you that you are to see the head of the Sohma family, Akito." Tori nodded in acknowledgement. "You can go know if you understand." She stood and bowed slightly before leaving. 'Good luck Tori-chan.' He thought to her retreating back.  
  
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"I'm going to have an early night tonight. I have to visit someone.Akito, I think his name is." Tori ignored the two surprised and one guilty faces of Yuki, Tohru and Kyou. She yawned, stretched, and went upstairs. Yuki turned to Kyou.  
  
"What happened? Why is she visiting Akito?" Kyou's face went red as he explained what happened that day. Yuki stormed into Shigure's office. "Her memories are going to be erased, aren't they? Where's she going to go?" Shigure sighed and took off his glasses.  
  
"We don't know if she'll have them erased. It's all up to Akito. As to where she's to go, who knows?"  
  
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A two-year-old Tori looked out a window. She turned around with a smile to look at someone. She pointed out the window, opened her mouth and-  
  
"Tori? Tori, it's time for you to get up." Tori opened her eyes to see Tohru standing at the side of the bed. She groaned and got up. She stood out on the balcony, eyes closed, the sun warming her face. She took three deep breaths, opened her eyes and got dressed, making her way downstairs for breakfast.  
  
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"What are you wearing?" Tori looked down at her clothes, puzzled at all the commotion. Hatori stopped her at the door, smells of breakfast wafting through the doorway. Her stomach growled angrily. She was hungry.  
  
"Umm.clothes?" She answered sarcastically. Hunger made her short tempered. "You've seen me in these clothes before. What's wrong with them?" Hatori explained that meeting the head of a family is important. That one must dress appropriately. He said more, but Tori stopped listening when she could smell the food. It was when he mentioned wearing Tohru's clothes that Tori's attention shifted back to him.  
  
"No way. I'm not wearing any other clothes than mine. If they aren't appropriate then Akito can deal with it." She stood stubbornly, until Hatori sighed. She then turned and went in to get some food. He followed, but didn't sit down.  
  
"Will you go without the shirt?" He scowled at Shigure's comment ("Ha-san! I didn't know you felt like that about Tori-chan!"), and looked at Tori for her answer. She ate some food, and then reluctantly nodded. "Well, hurry up and finish your breakfast; we need to leave soon." She finished her food quickly and stood. He motioned at her, and she took her shirt off, making her wings visible. They said their goodbyes, and left.  
  
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"Haru and I will be accompanying you when you meet Akito." Hatori explained as Haru met up with Hatori and Tori in the main house. Tori nodded hello to Haru, who nodded back.  
  
"Nice wings." Haru commented as they were walking along. Tori stopped, and smiled "They're small. Cute." He touched one lightly.  
  
"I like yours too." She pointed to the snake on his left arm. "It suits you." They walked in silence until they reached Akito's room. They walked in and knelt down, Tori in front. Akito was sitting on the veranda; a little white bird perched on his finger. It hopped off and went over to a saucer of water. Akito turned around and walked towards them, stopping in front of Tori.  
  
"So you're Tori." She bowed, her forehead touching the floor. "What an pretty name. Why were you called this, do you know?" Tori sat up and looked straight at Akito. Her eyes were stormy grey again.  
  
"My family had a tradition to let the children name themselves. The first word the spoke properly became their name. When I was little, I looked out the window to see birds in our garden. I turned to my mother and said "Tori. Look, tori!" so that's what I was named." Akito smiled coldly at her.  
  
"What a wonderful story. Now, what do you know about the Sohma family's curse" Tori looked at him, confused at the sudden change of subject.  
  
"Curse? I'm sorry Akito-sama; I don't know anything about a-" Akito slapped her across the face. She put a hand to her sore cheek, but didn't look away.  
  
"Don't lie to me! I have been told you know about it and I want to know how much!" Tori didn't speak; she just stared at the head of the family. Akito grabbed a handful of her hair, and dragged her along the floor. Hatori and Haru ran over and held Akito still.  
  
Tori's hair had moved to show her wings. Akito let go of her hair and spun her around, shrugging off Hatori and Haru. He traced an outline of a wing with one finger. Tori shuddered in revulsion, but didn't move away. "Now, tell me what you know about the curse, or a shall have to damage these pretty little wings of yours."  
  
"I don't know about your curse." She spoke clearly, and moved away from the angry head. She stepped into the sunlight. Blackbirds flew on to veranda, surrounding Tori and scaring away Akito's little bird. She put out her hand, and the largest bird flew onto it. Suddenly, two pitch black wings sprouted from her back, and the other birds flew away, leaving the one on her hand. "This is part of my namesake. My secret; my curse." And with that she flew away. Haru ran out after her, leaving Hatori and Akito alone, staring where she stood. ------ Haha! There you go Yukiril! I hope that helps with you imagination. 


	4. My Heritage

My mother was sent down on a mission, 18 years ago, to watch over a person. She was to show herself as a new colleague, and work with him. Things went along, and they fell in love. She went to the council and explained her situation, wanting to tell him the truth. They refused, and ordered her back immediately. She went back, and later, I was born. The council were suspicious, but my mother didn't mention anything. When I grew black hair, the elders knew something was wrong.  
  
I was presented to the council for inspection, where they found my difference. I am half earthwalker. Earthwalkers are humans, all right? They pretty much shunned me from then on. I was later than most in getting my name, and didn't do as well in lessons. The other children hated me, and showed me that often. I got in trouble more than others, so I stopped trying after a while.  
  
I had a kinship with the birds that lived near us. As I grew, I would play and fly with them. When there were assessments of our abilities, that was shown. I was much better than the other children at flying, and was punished for it. The assessments never told of my abilities, but my mother saw me once and praised me highly. I was called monster and freak a lot.  
  
My mother had been told when the elders found out that I would not be able to stay there. She never told me about it, so when I was taken to the council three days after my seventeenth birthday and told, I didn't believe it. They put the wings on my back, as a mark of my heritage. I tried to fly away from them, but I was outnumbered. They surrounded me, and the Chief of Council sent me down.  
  
That's when you found me, and I was taken to Akito. I showed my wings to him, Hatori and Haru, the first humans ever to see my wings. I ran and hid, but Haru found me and brought me here. I was ready to not tell anyone what happened, but Hatori and Haru helped me to realise that I couldn't keep running and hiding; I'd have to tell you all sometime.  
  
I don't really miss it, but I sometimes miss my mother. We stuck together through everything. Well, except the banishment. She just stood by and let them do it. I don't know how she could do it, but she did. I'm sorry for keeping this from you, but what else was I to do?  
  
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Tori looked up to see Tohru and Momiji crying. Yuki handed them handkerchiefs, and comforted them. She looked around, and looked at the other listeners. Kyou looked stunned, Shigure looked serious for once, and Hatori looked more solemn than usual. The only person who hadn't changed was Haru. He was still his slightly dazed but still serious self. He was looking at a random point in the room, obviously thinking about his own past. It was the kind of story that made you think like that.  
  
"Do you understand why I didn't tell you?" Tori asked quietly, not expecting an answer. Shigure rested his hand on her shoulder lightly. She looked up, surprised. A little smile spread across his face, somehow comforting her. She smiled hesitantly back. She went to say something, but her head started to nod, signalling how tired the young girl was.  
  
"Come on." Shigure said quietly, and helped her stand. They walked upstairs, where she wandered into her allocated bedroom. Before she went inside, she murmured to the dog,  
  
"A storm's coming." Shigure shot a startled look at her, but she didn't notice as she wandered to her bed. He stood looking at the door long after it had been closed.  
  
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"A storm's coming." Kyou looked up to see Shigure at the doorway. The others looked to see Shigure looking concerned, and Haru was the first to speak.  
  
"What do you mean, 'a storm's coming'?" Looking around at the blank stares from the others in the room, he frowned. "Don't look at me like I'm the village idiot!" He snapped angrily. Shigure chuckled quietly, causing even Haru to stare blankly at him.  
  
"It could mean a number of things." Shigure commented. "It could literally mean, 'a storm's coming', but it may also mean trouble ahead, or any number of things." He shrugged slightly as he sat down. "I don't know which thing it's supposed to mean though." Kyou frowned, annoyed at his cousin's lack of sense.  
  
"What do you mean, you don't know? You're the one who said it!" Shigure shook his head. He picked up his tea and took a sip, making a face at the taste of cold tea. Tohru noticed, and rushed off to make some more. "Well?"  
  
"I'm not the one who said it, I was merely repeating it." Seeing the confused expression on Kyou's face, he continued. "Tori-chan said it as she went to bed." Hatori stood up, remembering his profession.  
  
"I should check on her. There might be something wrong with her." He moved to leave when a hand grabbed hold of his wrist firmly. He looked down to see Haru shaking his head.  
  
"Don't worry. She told me herself, showing her wings uses up her energy, and she's shown them twice in one day. She's probably just worn out." Hatori looked down at his cousin, making no move to sit back down. "I'm telling you, I'm sure she's fine." Hatori reluctantly sat back down.  
  
"No wonder she didn't tell us." Momiji piped up. "I mean, it's pretty much the same reason we didn't tell her about the curse." Seeing everyone's attention on him, he continued bravely. "She wanted to protect herself from getting hurt again. Plus," He added as an afterthought, "we probably wouldn't have believed her if she hadn't shown us those wings." With that, Tohru came in with the tea. As Haru took his, he heard a rustling behind him. He turned around to see the blackbirds still on the veranda, looking for their friend.  
  
"Tori's gone to bed." He told them simply. Raku hopped forwd and started towards the stairs. Haru laughed and went over to him, putting his hand out. "You won't be able to get into the room. Come on, I'll take you to her." Raku eyed him suspiciously, and hopped onto Haru's hand. Haru walked upstairs quietly, leaving the others stunned. Shigure turned to see the other blackbirds turn and fly off.  
  
"A storm's coming." He murmured to himself, looking at the trees surrounding the house. The trees looked back at him, yellow eyes of blackbirds in all of the closest trees. 'A storm's coming.'  
  
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ooh, eerie ending! 


	5. Pest

"I can't believe I'm wearing a skirt." Tori grumbled as she climbed a tree. "A pink skirt at that." She climbed halfway up a tree, sitting cross-legged on a thick branch. She crossed her arms and a raven landed on one gracefully. "What's the point of a skirt anyway?" She asked it. She had been forced to wear some of Tohru's clothes while hers were being washed. It seems that Tohru doesn't own any pants apart from her work clothes, which Tori would have worn if Tohru hadn't insisted on her skirt.  
  
"Tori-san!" Tori looked down to see Yuki walking under her tree. She groaned under her breath and started climbing again. The raven on her arm flew away huffily. 'Sorry!' She thought, 'But no one can see me in this skirt.' She moved out from the trunk of the tree, and stepped on a thinner branch, not looking where she was going. The branch broke under her weight, sending her falling through the branches with a short yelp of surprise. Yuki looked up to see something falling to the ground.  
  
"Tori-san!" He ran to help her, but before she hit the ground, her wings shot out, and she landed gracefully. Yuki stopped abruptly, stunned at her safe landing. Tori put all her weight on her feet, only to have one leg buckle under her. Her wings shrank back into her back, as she sat there in surprise. Tohru rushed out, Shigure on her heels.  
  
"Tori-chan, are you alright?" Tori looked down at her leg, eyes wide.  
  
"Hey look, I'm bleeding." She pointed out. She was indeed bleeding, quite heavily in fact. Her fall through the tree scraped her leg badly, but she didn't seem to notice it until she fell over. Tohru ran around panicking while Shigure rang up Hatori. Yuki looked at Tori, puzzled.  
  
"Are they Honda-san's clothes, Tori-san?" Tori looked down at her clothes, and remembered that they were, indeed, Tohru's clothes. She closed her eyes, and reluctantly looked over her shoulder. Seeing what happened to the back of Tohru's shirt, she swore under her breath.  
  
"Tohru-chan, I'm sorry." Tohru stopped running around, and looked at the girl. Tori pointed to her back, a cheerless expression on her face. Her wings had ripped two large holes in the back of the shirt, ruining it. Tohru ran off to get another shirt before Tori could stop her. Shigure wandered out, a sober expression lingering on his face, carrying a walking stick.  
  
"Tori-chan, Ha-san needs you to go to the estate. He wants to have a look at you, but can't come over." He helped her up and gave her the stick. "To keep the weight off your leg." He explained, and helped her over to the veranda. "The taxi should be here soon, don't worry.  
  
-----  
  
Akito looked out his window to see four people walking across the grounds. He recognised three immediately, but when he saw the black and white hair of the fourth member of the party, an insincere smile spread across his face, and he moved away from the window. He rang a small bell, and a young girl entered the room, bowing nervously.  
  
"There is a girl with black and white hair here. Find out where she is and bring her to me at once." Akito's quiet voice filled the room, making the girl shake visibly as she bowed again, and made her way out of the room which seemed to consume any light that went into it. Akito moved back to the window and looked out of it gleefully, imagining what he would do once Tori was back in his grasp.  
  
-----  
  
"Nice clothes." Haru commented lightly. Tori frowned at him leaning against the doorway so casually as her leg was being tended to.  
  
"Shut up." She snapped. Whatever Hatori had put on her leg was stinging, making her short-tempered. "If it weren't for these clothes, I wouldn't be here at all." She hissed as Hatori put more antiseptic on her leg. "Bloody skirt." She mumbled to herself. Hatori bandaged her leg firmly, and was about to let her go when there was a knock at his door. Tori was made to stay where she was while he talked to the person. He left the door open slightly, and bits of the conversation floated into the room.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but Akito-san wants to see her." Tori and Haru glanced at each other, and Haru opened the door more. "He is insisting on it."  
  
"I'm sorry, but she is not fit to go anywhere right now." Hatori's voice had an irritated edge to it. "She shall see him when I say she is able to."  
  
"But sir, what am I to tell Akito-san?" The woman whined. Tori moved to get off the bed, when Haru held his hand up to stop her. Hatori was murmuring something quietly outside. She sat there for a moment, then realised what she was doing and got up quietly, ignoring Haru trying to stop her. She almost reached the other door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.  
  
"Where are you going?" Tori spun around to see Hatori standing in the doorway, looking at her disappointedly. "I am assuming you heard my conversation," Haru and Tori looked down, guilt showing clearly, "but what I said was true. You shouldn't be running off." Tori started to protest, but Hatori stopped her with a glance. "Whatever your reasons for leaving may be, you are not to go until your legs have healed properly." Tori gave a defiant stare, and then grinned triumphantly.  
  
"Fine." She sat down and started unwrapping the bandages. Hatori frown and moved to stop her, but she looked up with a powerful expression on her face, stopping the doctor from acting. Unwrapped, she saw how badly it was, and hesitated slightly. Determination filled her features as she spread her hand over the leg and closed her eyes, chanting quietly. Her wings spread out slowly, and light spread gradually from her fingers to surround her injuries. Her chanting got louder as the light brightened, and disappeared, leaving her leg healed.  
  
"Wow" commented Haru from the corner. Tori opened her eyes and looked at him while her wings withdrew. "How did you do that?" She frowned at him, and he held his hands up innocently. "It looked incredible, that's all."  
  
"It's a spell, if you could call it that. More like a talent that is emphasised through saying a specific verse." She stood and made her way to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off."  
  
"Why didn't you do it before?" Tori's hand froze on the door. She turned around to face Hatori's fierce expression and Haru's confused look. She made her way back to the chair and sat down heavily.  
  
"I really should be going..." She tried to avoid the question, but sighed. "I could say I needed to build up my energy, but to tell you the truth, I forgot." She looked at Hatori sheepishly. "I forgot what I had to say, so while you were putting that stuff on-which really hurt, by the way- I was racking my brain to remember it. It finally clicked when you went all doctor on me." She stood up and went over to the door again. "Now I really have to run." She waved and rushed off, leaving Hatori and Haru watching where she had stood.  
  
-----  
  
The woman stood in front of five men. "Ok, there is a girl in the estate that Akito-san wants. You have seen her picture, so you know who to look for. We have to get her, at any cost." The men nodded, all wearing identical frowns on their faces, and rushed off. The woman stayed where she was, smiling bitterly as she watched them go.  
  
-----  
  
Momiji looked up at the sky thoughtfully. 'I hadn't realised the clouds had built up during the day.' He shrugged it off and went back to playing with Tohru. 'I guess it'll rain later.'  
  
-----  
  
Tori was lost. 'Do I turn left, of go straight ahead?' She turned left down a hallway and ran into a large man going the other way. He looked down at her and smiled proudly as he reached out for her. Tori looked at him, confused, and before she realised what was going on, he grabbed her arms and started walking off.  
  
"I'll get a good reward for finding you so quickly." He told her absently as they walked along. Tori wasn't listening, she was too busy making a complicated plan in her head to escape. "I wonder what Yuriko wants you for anyway." As soon as the come to a garden, all thoughts of a plan left her head, and she kicked back as hard as she could, hitting the exact spot she wanted. He let go of her as he doubled over, leaving Tori to shoot off and climb the nearest tree.  
  
"Boys! The target has been found. Come to the west garden quickly, before she escapes!" Tori looked down to see a middle-age woman talking into a radio and glaring at the tree Tori was in. 'Yuriko, obviously.' Tori closed her eyes and concentrated on Raku and the others. She felt their answer and smiled as she settled down to wait for them to come.  
  
She looked down to see four men standing around the man she injured. He seemed to be recovering, and looked quite angry. Yuriko walked over to the group and pointed to Tori's tree. The men looked where she was pointing and started making their way over. Tori was about to climb across to another tree when the birds came. Raku landed on the branch next to her and looked at her with one eye. She nodded, and jumped out of the tree.  
  
The blackbirds swarmed into the air, preventing the men to see Tori in the flock. She rose above the birds, so Yuriko and the men could see her, and dived towards the group. She stopped and landed gracefully, noticing they were all too surprised to try and grab her. She was about to put her wings away when a voice rang out.  
  
"Get the pest." Tori turned to see Akito on a veranda, looking at Tori with pure hatred. Tori cleared her face of any emotion and bowed politely. Akito's lip curled and he rushed towards her. She flew out of his reach, landing nearby. He rushed at her again, this time just missing her. This went on like a vicious dance, until Akito latched onto her leg. She lashed out, narrowly missing Akito's head but loosening his grip enough for her to flee to a nearby roof.  
  
Hatori and Haru rounded the corner to see Tori landing on the roof. She stood on the edge closest to Akito and closed her eyes, her right hand out flat. The flock of blackbirds perched on and around her, leaving the hand free. Last of all, a small, white bird, similar to the one the fed in Akito's garden, flew over and landed on her outstretched palm. She opened her eyes and smiled a cold smile. Raku hopped from Tori's shoulder to stand next to the white bird. He hopped on top of it, pinning its head under his foot. The little bird struggled for a while, and then stilled. Akito cried out in a mix of grief and anger.  
  
The blackbirds, apart from Raku, flew into the nearby trees as Tori lightly launched off the roof, rising into the air. She was still rising when one of the men pulled a gun and shot at her. The bullet went through her wing, and Tori let out a cry, which made all who heard it shiver. Her hand dropped, and Raku and the white bird flew off as she plummeted. On the ground Haru ran to catch her, but he was too late. As she hit the ground with a sickening crunch, the sky opened up and it started raining. As if the sky was crying for her.  
  
------  
  
Sorry for taking so long. I was sick, had school and worst of all, writer's block. I had the ideas in my head, just couldn't put them in words. Plus, FF.net was being grumpy and not letting me on, sorry! Because I took such a long time, I gave you a longer chapter. Thankyou to my new reviewers:  
  
Chibi Mi-chan: Thankyou for telling other to read my story. Don't be sorry about only two more people reading it, it's two more peple to tell others. For your help, I give you some cookies! *Gives you Fruits Basket cookies*  
  
Chibi Mo: Thankyou for the compliments on my spelling and grammar. I'm glad this makes sense (I aways worry it's just a big pile of nonsense). Thanks for trying to get others to read too! *Hands you a packet of instant Fruits Basket characters*  
  
KelTortall(): Thankyou for your nice review. I hope you do come back! 


	6. Light

Hatori entered the hallway, to a collection of worried faces. They looked at him expectantly, waiting for the news he brought. He sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I've done all I can. One wing was broken in the fall, and the bullet went through the other wing, so it's just a matter of stopping the bleeding and waiting for her to wake up." He looked around at the different reactions to the news. Tohru and Momiji were relieved, Yuki thoughtful, and Shigure acting foolish as usual. Haru didn't react to the information; he just looked outside, where the storm was raging. There was a large bolt of lightning, followed by a loud crack of thunder, illustrating how close it was. There was a cry from where Tori was, and Haru rushed in to the room.  
  
He looked at Tori in the bed, lying on her stomach, her wings bandaged in multiple places. She seemed to be sleeping, but he couldn't tell. Hatori moved over to the bed, checking the bandages and her temperature. She recoiled away from his touch, but only once. Haru moved in closer, touching the base of one her wings. She cried out again and tried to move away. Hatori had to hold her down by the shoulders until she calmed down. He let go of her and glowered at Haru angrily.  
  
"It's hard enough to help her as it is, without you making it worse. You can stay in here, but don't touch her." He checked Tori one last time and walked out of the room. Haru looked at Tori, puzzled, and rushed after Hatori. He saw him walking down the corridor and called out to him. Hatori stopped and looked at Haru impatiently.  
  
"Why isn't she tiring?" Haru asked. Seeing Hatori didn't understand, he tried again. "Her wings use up her energy, but they've been out for ages and she doesn't seem any different." Hatori walked back into the room and checked on her again. Without saying anything, he walked off again. Haru started after him, but movement in the corner of his eye stopped him.  
  
Tori was trying to sit up, her arms shaking under her weight. She cursed quietly and got herself upright. She turned around slowly and upon seeing Haru, froze. Haru move towards her, but she raised a hand quickly. "Ilsidur!" Light burst from her hand, temporarily blinding him. She walked past him, stopping briefly to press something in his hand, and out into the corridor.  
  
-----  
  
"Tori-chan!" Tori ignored the voices and kept walking. Someone grabbed hold of her arm, but she held a hand up at them. "Jierda!" They cried out and let go, and she kept waking. As she went, started removing the bandages. She was unwrapping a wing when a person stood in her way.  
  
"What are you doing? You'll ruin all I did to help you." Hatori blocked the hallway, refusing to move out of her way. She ripped the splint off the other wing and held up a hand.  
  
"Jierda!" He cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor. Tori went over and knelt beside him. "I'm sorry." She murmured as she moved him out of the way. She placed an object into his hands and walked down the hallway. She stopped in front of a door, frowned, pushed it open and walked in purposefully.  
  
-----  
  
Haru's sight finally cleared. He rubbed his eyes fiercely and looked at the object in his hand. Now he could see it clearly, he saw it was a flat stone ring, smooth from wear. He held it to the light, where it seemed to glow a soft green. He turned it over and saw something carved in the other side, almost worn off. He looked carefully to see it was a bird flying. Mesmerised, Haru stood looking at it before he realised Tori was out somewhere. He stood up quickly, but had to stop while his vision spun dangerously. After he could see properly, he exited the room and went off down the hall, looking for signs that she had been there.  
  
He came upon Hatori accidentally, almost tripping over him. He knelt down, looking at Hatori's face worriedly. He reached out to feel his forehead, but Hatori grabbed onto Haru's wrist, stopping him. His eyes opened the tiniest amount, just enough for Haru to see he was awake.  
  
"Are you alright? Who did this to you?" Haru asked worriedly. Hatori winced, and let go of Haru's wrist, putting his hand to his head. Haru waited, and urged quietly, "Hatori?"  
  
"Shh." Hatori whispered. He removed his hand and scowled at his cousin. "I will be fine, but right now, I have a headache. Who do you think did this to me?" he added sarcastically. Haru was about to comment when Hatori spoke. "Tori did it, I don't know how. She gave me this." He handed something to Haru. "What is it?"  
  
Haru gasped at the object. It was a large light blue crystal in the shape of a teardrop. Looking at it closely, he saw the colour in the middle changed continuously to different shades of blue. Haru almost dropped it, stopping himself just in time. He handed the crystal back to Hatori, stood up and walked off, ignoring Hatori's calls.  
  
As he walked down the hall, he realised he had no idea where she went. He wandered aimlessly before stopping in front of a door. 'Of course!' He opened the door slowly, and stepped inside.  
  
-----  
  
Tori stepped into the room and looked around suspiciously. She spun around quickly when a voice came from her right.  
  
"Well well, the pest has managed to survive." Akito stepped out of the shadows, a malicious smile teasing his lips. Tori started backing away, but stopped abruptly. A flash of lightning lit up the room long enough for Tori to get her bearings. In the sudden darkness, she ran across the room, putting distance between her and Akito. She raised a hand, but a voice entered her head.  
  
~No. You must not fight that way.~ She screamed in frustration, looking up at the ceiling angrily. She looked down in time to see an arm rushing towards her. It connected with her face, throwing her partway across the room. She put away her wings and sat up partly, resting on her elbows. Akito grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the room.  
  
Lightning flashed again. Tori kicked out, and connected with Akito's leg, making him leg go. She moved to the other side of the room. "You don't understand," she commented, lightning illuminating the room. "I don't want this. Why do you hate me?" Akito sneered and rushed at her again. She dodged out of the way and ran across to the veranda, Akito running after her.  
  
A frown replaced her passive expression. "This is starting to get tedious." She pointed out as she dodged again. She stopped running and turned to face Akito. He raised his arm to hit her again, but she seized it before it could connect. She saw her hand start to glow, and felt her wings develop. Akito's eyes widened and he stared at her. The light faded, and Tori let go of him. He ran over and huddled in a corner while Tori looked at her hand incredulously, wings returning into her back. A voice rang out and her head snapped up to look at the speaker.  
  
"What did you do to him?" She looked at the doorway to see Haru standing there. He was frowning at her accusingly. She moved over to him, cautious of his mood.  
  
"I don't know." She commented. "It just happened." He stepped forward angrily, standing over her.  
  
"What do you mean, you don't know? You're the one who did it!" She looked at him, confused, as he moved over to the huddled figure.  
  
"I just stopped him from hitting me, and... I don't know, I don't know!" She looked down at her hands and saw her fingertips were glowing. She clutched her head. "What's happening to me?!" Light surrounded her, and she screamed in pain as her wings forced themselves out. Suddenly she frowned. "No." She balled her fists, putting them fiercely at her sides. She called out with all her voice. "NO!" The light disappeared with such force that the door to the veranda blew open. He clothes had changed to a white, long-sleeved dress with intricate black embroidery around the bottom of the dress, the sleeves and the neckline. She frowned, the wind from the doorway making her look even more sinister. Haru came over and took hold of some of her hair. She pulled away quickly, whipping the hair out of his hand.  
  
"Your white streaks have gone." He commented. She looked at her hair, smiling bitterly. She stormed over to the crouching Akito, looked at him, still frowning and walked out of the room; Haru following her. She put her wings away, and Haru saw that the dress had a low back, so the wings don't rip it.  
  
She walked down the hall until she found Hatori. She knelt down next to him and waited patiently until he opened his eyes. She took the crystal out of his hand, looking at it. "This was the first crystal I made." She smiled sadly. "It was supposed to be all the same colour, but I prefer it this way." She handed it back to him, ignoring the surprised look on his face.  
  
Tori walked down the corridor, ignoring Haru, and went outside. The storm had finished, but it was still windy. She stood in the garden, looking at the birds hopping around trying to find worms. Haru watched her silently as a white bird hopped over to her. She crouched down, extending a hand slowly. The bird hopped onto it, cheeping happily. Tori smiled and stood up, murmuring to it. It hopped onto her shoulder and she walked back over to Haru.  
  
"Can I go back to Shigure's house now?" The bird peeped at him, and he smiled. Nodding, he held out his hand. Tori took it and they walked inside.  
  
-----  
  
Sorry for the long delay, I had most of the chapter done, but stuff came up, and I only just thought of how to finish it. 


	7. Call

Tori looked through the leaves of the tree she was sitting in. A small orange cat ran out of the house, followed by yells of "Sorry Kyou-kun!" A small smile crept across her face, but was wiped off when he cat climbed up her tree. She looked at Kyou; annoyed he'd found her hiding place. She opened her mouth to tell him off when there was a 'Poof!' and smoke appeared. She forgot her indignation and held out the towel that was drying next to her. A hand shot out of the smoke and grabbed it quickly. When the smoke disappeared, all that was left was an angry-looking teenage boy wearing the aforementioned towel. Tori put her finger to her lips and leant close to his ear.  
  
"I'll go get you some clothes." She whispered. He opened his mouth, but she clapped her hand over it before he could speak. "Stay here. I'll be right back." She climbed down the branches and walked into the house casually, fending off any questions offhandedly. She walked into the laundry, picked out the cleanest of Kyou's clothes and walked upstairs, avoiding the others who lived there. She walked out onto the balcony of her room, extended her wings and flew to the tree. She handed Kyou his clothes, turning around so she didn't see anything.  
  
Tori had gotten used to this kind of occurrence where she lived. She got so used to it, in fact, that when she went to work, she subconsciously dodged and avoided touching the opposite sex. Kyou placed his hand on her shoulder, and she turned back around. She leant towards his ear again.  
  
"If you tell anyone where I go to, I will have to give Shigure and Ayame some embarrassing photos I happened to come across." Leaning back to see his reaction, she smiled. "I'm glad you understand." She whispered. A bird hopped along the branch and onto Tori. It moved up her arm, finishing on her shoulder. Kyou frowned slightly and leaned forward.  
  
"Why do you come here?" He asked. She didn't look at him, and answered so he could only just hear her.  
  
"It's where I belong." She turned to him, her eyes a misty grey. "You know, off the ground; closer to the sky." She turned away from him and looked through the leaves. She dropped off her branch before he could think of a reply and looked back up to him. "You may want to think of an excuse for where you got those clothes." She called and walked towards the front of the house. A breeze picked up, blowing her white dress and making the bird hide under her hair. As she walked around the corner, she saw the car pull into the driveway. As the people exited it, the bird flew off, and she watched it fly away thoughtfully.  
  
Suddenly, a hand covered her eyes, making her jump and spin around. Hatsuharu smiled and held out a white box with a black ribbon tied around it. "Happy Birthday." He said quietly. She took the box and pulled him around the side of the house, away from the noise. When she opened the box, her eyes widened as she pulled out the green ring she gave Haru ages ago, with a new leather thong on it. She turned to Haru as he put it on her.  
  
"How did you know?" she asked quizzically. He smiled a mysterious smile and shrugged his shoulders.he took her hand and led her inside. As they got to the door, he turned to her and leaned in to her.  
  
"No one else knows." He studied her closely. "Was that the right thing to do?" She nodded, smiling, and they walked inside.  
  
-----  
  
Tori was up in her tree again. Shigure, Yuki, Tohru and Kyou were used to this, but Momiji was looking for her. Seeing him walking past, she climbed higher, accidentally making the branches move. She froze as he looked at the tree, hoping he wouldn't guess it was her. Suddenly she had an idea. She poked a sleeping backbird on the branch near her. I woke up and grumpily cawed at her. Looking down at Momiji, she saw he thought it must have been a bird and walked off. She kissed the bird on the head and settled down for a rest.  
  
-----  
  
She was at the top of a tree on a hill, looking down at a small town. Look around, she saw a wood surrounding the hill, with no trees except the one she was in growing on the hill. Deciding to have a look around, Tori climbed down the tree. As she stepped away from it, the tree she was in seemed to grow, so instead of being able to reach the bottom branches, all she could see was trunk. She walked down to the wood, and as she walked down the hill, a wind picked up. The wind seemed to blow harder as she got closer to thetrees, as if it was trying to stop her going to them  
  
She finally made it to the trees. As she placed her hand on a tree trunk, she heard something. She let go of the tree and looked around quickly. Not seeing or hearing anything, she put her hand on the tree again. She heard the sound again. As she started to look around, she realised it wasn't a sound, it was more of a feeling. Looking at the tree she felt something pulling at her, lureing her into the wood. She stepped into the trees. As she walked past the first line of trees, all the light seemed to disappear from the wood. It was pitch black; she couldn't see a thing. Yet the feeling still pulled at her. She kept walking, keeping her arms outsretched so she didn't run into a tree. All of a sudden the ground started rumbling and things started moving. The feeling was still there, but Tori was too scared to keep going. She reached out for a branch to hold, but instead of a tree, she grabbed hold of something living. Whatever she held onto moved towards her, calling her name...  
  
-----  
  
Tori woke up to see Kyou looking worried. He was holding onto her shoulders, and it seemed as if he was having trouble staying on the branch. She saw she was holding onto his arm, and let go abruptly. He grabbed the branch above and steadied himself.  
  
Kyou looked at Tori closely, and after he got his balance he thought he saw a wild look in her eyes, like an animal that's been trapped. But he looked again and it was gone. She'd moved closer to him, looking suspicious.  
  
"What are you doing up here?" Kyou frowned and climbed down to a thicker branch. She followed, repeating her question. "Why are you up here?"  
  
"Because everyone was worried you were going to fall out." She looked at him, surprised, and he continued. "You went to sleep, and started calling out something. The little brat heard you and got us. You'd started climbing in your sleeep, if that's possible, and everyone was worried you'd fall." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked confused. "Seeing I'm the best at climbing, I was sent up. I got hold of your arm and you started throwing yourself about. Nearly sent us both out of the tree." Tori looked down to see people crowding around the base of the tree. From where she and Kyou were, the people on the ground couldn't see them. She put her finger to her lips and moved close, her movements similar to that morning.  
  
"Tell them I'm fine." She whispered in his ear. "I just have something I have to do." He frowned at her, shaking his head. "You owe me!" She whispered fiercely. "I have this feeling. Just stay up here until I can get to my room then go and talk to them." She moved along the branch and climbed up until she reached the roof. Going over to where her window was silently, she climbed inside, snuck downstairs, and was about to go into the surrounding trees when a voice called her name. She turned around to see Haru walking towards her. He feeling was puuling her so strongly I took all her will to stand still.  
  
"Tori, what are you doing?" She looked back at the forest longingly.  
  
"Someone's calling." she stated in a deadpan voice.  
  
----- 


	8. Tsubasa

"Someone's calling." Tori started walking towards the forest, a blank look on her face. Haru grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.  
  
"I'm coming too then." Tori frowned and shook her head firmly. She wrenched her arm out of his grasp and started off again. He took hold of her arm again, and she looked at him properly.  
  
"You can't." He started to protest, but she cut him off. "This isn't earthwalker business." She kissed him softly, and rested her hand on his. "I'm sorry, it's something I have to go to." He let go slowly and she walked decisively into the forest. Haru hesitated for a moment, and then followed her quietly.  
  
-----  
  
Tori walked into a clearing. 'It's disgustingly perfect.' She thought as she looked around. The grass was short, and the area was almost perfectly round. She walked into the centre and looked around. She opened her mouth to call, when bright light surrounded her. Haru, thinking she was in trouble, ran into the clearing to help her. When he stood next to Tori, she looked at him, surprised to see him there. "What are you doing here? You're not allowed!" Haru looked a little disappointed.  
  
"I thought you were in trouble." He whispered back. "I came to help you." Tori shook her head, putting her hand to her forehead. She murmured something like "You really are an idiot," when a young man walked out of the circle of people who had appeared, and made his way towards Tori.  
  
"What is an earthwalker doing here?" He looked at the teenagers with disdain. "This meeting was to be private." Tori frowned slightly, but bowed respectfully to the young man.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know he was here until he ran out." Her eyes flickered to him, issuing a very clear warning. 'Don't go black.' "It was not my intention for him to be here." The adult waved off Tori's explanation, scornfully. Tori watched Haru carefully, waiting for something to happen. Haru bowed politely, surprising her.  
  
"Let's get on with this." The people surrounding Tori and Haru moved around, so they were all in front of them. The man in front sighed heavily. 'Who does he think he is, God?' Tori and Haru thought angrily. "The elders have decided to take you back." He shot Tori a condescending look before continuing. "A second chance, as it were." With that, Haru snapped.  
  
"Who do you think you are, you bastard?!" He stormed over towards the man, ready to kill him. "You act all high and mighty, but what would you do if I was to shove -"  
  
"Sohma Hatsuharu, get back here!" Tori interrupted. There was a powerful note in her voice, which stopped Haru in his tracks. He looked back to see a very angry Tori looking at him. He walked over to her angrily, still black. She looked down at him and commented quietly. "This does not concern you. Please let me fight my own battles." The frown on his face softened as she kissed him. There were several gasps in the group of adults watching. Tori broke the kiss and walked forward.  
  
"How dare you." She announced. "How dare you have the gall to talk like that." She turned to address the group in front of her. "Second chance? What happened to my first chance? You rejected me long before I was sent away." She shook her head and smiled bitterly. "Go back?" She laughed. "I wouldn't go back for anything. I have told people my secret, and they accept me anyway." She walked over and stood next to Haru again. "Any threats you have said don't matter." Tori looked into the apparent leader's eyes and smirked. "I refuse to go back, and there's nothing you can do about it." Haru smiled slightly next to her, while the young man in front of them growled.  
  
"You're disgusting, you know that? You are practically hanging off that earthwalker, who knows where he's been. I'm glad you refused, I don't want your filth anywhere near me." He smiled viciously. "You are just the same. Like mother, like daughter."  
  
*smack!* Everyone gasped as a woman slapped the man across the face. She glared at him as he put a hand to the red cheek, touching it tenderly. "You went too far, Tsubasa." The woman had an air of importance, which made Tsubasa seem to shrink in front of her. There was a hint of fear in his eyes as he bowed slightly. Tori studied the woman carefully as she quietly lectured Tsubasa. Haru looked at her, concerned about her. She put her hand to the necklace around her neck, and stood straighter.  
  
"Mama?" Haru looked stunned, while the woman turned to look. Her hand went to her necklace, which Haru noticed was the same as Tori's, but didn't say anything. "Mama? When did you become part of the council? Such an important one too?" Tori's mother smiled and stepped away from the embarrassed Tsubasa.  
  
"Time runs differently here honey." Tori stamped her foot angrily.  
  
"Don't call me honey as if nothing happened! "She brushed a tear that leaked from her eye away angrily. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let them send me away? Why didn't you do something to stop them?!" Tori put her face in her hands, tears dripping into the perfect grass. Haru rushed over to her, but stopped before touching her, remembering the curse. Tori turned and moved into Haru's chest, to his surprise. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, and, again to his surprise, didn't transform.  
  
"I tired." Tori's mother murmured. The other elders called out to her, trying to stop her, but she ignored the calls of 'Mika, stop it! It'll only hurt you to tell her.' and continued. "I tried, but..." Haru looked up to see her hand covering half her face. A man moved forward to comfort her, but she pushed him away roughly. She took her hand away and straightened. "But I couldn't do it. At first I put it off with the excuse of 'she's too young to understand.'  
  
"But all of a sudden, you weren't too young. But I still didn't tell you, waiting for the right time." A miserable, sheepish smile spread across Mika's face. "I guess 'the right time' never came." Tori turned to look at her mother, still in Haru's arms. As soon as she saw the wretched look on her face, She understood her reasons, but Mika continued. "You also look so much like your father." She said sadly. "The more you grew, the more you reminded me of him. I thought that is you didn't know, then they might not send you away. I thought that if you left, I would forget Hiroshi.  
  
"When they told you, I didn't know what to do. I was losing my only child, my family. At first I was in shock, but after that wore off, it was too late. You were gone. I was so angry that everyone avoided me. I went to the council and demanded you be brought back, but they told me it was too late, you had been found." Some of the elders nodded, remembering Mika collapsing in grief. "The council decided it would be better for me if I tried to forget you. They gave me medicine, but it didn't work. I pretended it did, and they made me part of the council. As I rose through the elders, I spread the idea of letting you back in. I was consumed by the desire to bring you back." Mika paused, as if remembering hidden memories.  
  
"It was agreed to bring you back, and inside, I rejoiced. I was not supposed to come down, I was to stay with some others to help with the ones too frail to make the trip. I snuck down without anyone noticing, and when I saw you again, I realised how much you had changed. When you refused, it felt like part of me had died." A tear rolled down her cheek, matched by one rolling down Tori's. Mika wiped hers away slowly, sighed and continued. "I realise now that you've grown up. You don't need me anymore, you have someone else to love." Tori broke away from Haru's hold and went over to her mother, stopping a few feet away. She shook her head fiercely, with a small smile on her face.  
  
"I still need you Mama. I'll always need you. I understand now why you did what you did, and that everyone has reasons for doing things." She hugged her mother tightly. "I'm sorry for doubting you Mama." She murmured into Mika's shoulder. From his vantage point, Haru noticed how similar they were. They broke the embrace smiling at each other. The elders shuffled, and an elderly man moved forward.  
  
"Um... well, if that's all, seeing Tori refused, we should be getting back." The others nodded at each other, murmuring "Shiro's right, we should leave.". Tori shot a pleading look at her mother quickly, and turned to Shiro.  
  
"Would you mind If I introduce my mother to my friends?" Seeing the dissapproving look on his face, she continued. "It will be quick, I promise. "He nodded reluctantly, and she smiled wider. She turned to Haru, and put her hand out. He walked over and clasped it tightly. Mika whispered in his ear,  
  
"Watch carefully, you're about to see a beautiful sight." Haru turned to where the elders were standing. As one, they opened their wings and flew off, white feathers floating to the ground in their wake. He saw a single black feather floating on the breeze. He looked to see Tori had slipped free and was flying, catching the feathers as they drifted to the ground. He smiled and caught the black feather as it glided past his face.  
  
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This is supposed to be the end, but if I get enough people wanting another chapter, I will write one. 


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